4 part series on Web Marketing coming every Monday in September.

While these articles will focus on writers, the advice will be sound for anyone in the publishing industry, or anyone with a business really. It’s likely that I’ll have more to say on the subjects, so depending on the interest, there might be more specific articles that I write as well. I will say up front that I welcome any suggestions, I’ll do my best to incorporate them into the posts.

After designing websites for 10 years, it’s come in handy for me while trying to develop an interest in my writing. As someone who really enjoys giving away things, I thought the best thing would be to share my knowledge with my readers. Hopefully you guys find it as useful as I have.

Don’t forget to check back tomorrow for part 2 of Mr. Snaggle’s Oddities! Click here if you don’t know what that is.

1. Branding Your Name – Monday, September 7, 2009

The first post will discuss the different ways you can make your name easier to find online. Picking the name you use online is an important step because you want to be consistent. Many people use multiple names at different sites, and that does work sometimes, but if you choose a good one and keep it, you can fill the top of a search engine front page with yourself.

2. Basic SEO – Monday, September 14, 2009

If you don’t know, SEO stands for search engine optimization. In this post I’ll talk about some of the most basic ways to ensure you are using your website or blog to the greatest extent possible when it comes to marketing. These tips will greatly help search engines find your website and promote your ranking.

3. Tracking Statistics – Monday, September 21, 2009

Whether your website gets a couple visitors a day or thousands of visitors a day, you need to be aware of it. I’ll show you some of the better free tools that show you how many people come to your site, and where they come from as well.

4. Standing Apart – Monday, September 28, 2009

In this final post, I’ll talk about why you can’t just have what everybody else has these days. You have to find out how your voice is different, and utilize that. There are plenty of ways that you can do this, and I’ll talk about a few of them.

So come check out the posts, they will be available every Monday in September.

While I don’t have any screenshots yet — mostly because it’s not built yet — Tuesday Night Storytime is about to get its own page! This has been in the works for a couple weeks while we built up some episodes to share with the world.

Until recently, there just wasn’t enough content to warrant it. Now we’re on Story #3, which means we’ll be able to offer the first two stories on the TNS page. Instead of being in parts, you will be able to listen to them in their entirety (which seems about 40 minutes per story). It will also be a way to listen without having to listen to the intro’s every week. Story #1 has not been released in an audio version yet, so that will be another thing to look forward to. It’s being recorded right now.

For the new page, we’ll be adding a brand new MP3 player that is bigger and even cooler than the one I have now on the front page. I’m very excited! When it’s ready to go I’ll let everyone know. Though the changes in the navigation bar will probably be just as obvious.

The first part of Mr. Snaggle’s Oddities. In this part, a young boy named Peter finds the old man living down the street from his house quite strange indeed. When the man opens a private circus tent, Peter’s friend makes sure they are the first to see it.

Audio version by David Carroll:

As always, thanks for reading! And feel free to help guide the story’s direction by commenting your ideas and thoughts.

Peter Morgan just didn’t trust old Mr. Snaggle.  There was something strange about the man, even if he couldn’t put his finger on what exactly.  Perhaps it was his circus, or that he lived in a giant green tent.

Peter tried to tell his friend his thoughts about the man, but Jackson wouldn’t listen.  To him, it was all about the exotic animals.  Nothing else mattered.  That was how Peter found himself riding his bike to the opening of Mr. Snaggle’s twisted circus.

He’d passed by the place—which was not really up to circus standards by his estimation—often enough.  Old Mr. Snaggle bought the large empty lot at the very end of the street, three blocks down from his own house, a couple weeks back.  There was no house on the lot.  Instead, Mr. Snaggle put up three large, colorful tents.

Peter had marveled over them when they first went up, but every day he passed by them they seemed more and more strange.  It was his parents that pointed out the oddities.  They wondered why anyone would want to live in a tent anyway, and how the man kept out intruders without any doors.

Jackson rode in front of him, making it impossible to talk during the short trip.  His friend was just about bouncing off his seat he was so excited.  Peter just tried to keep up.  Lots of the kids around the neighborhood seemed happy about the largest of the three tents being opened for the first time today.

The colorful tents came into view as they circled around the final curve in the road.  Strange or not, they were splendid.  The smallest of the three was neon green.  The others were purple and yellow.  The yellow tent, the largest of them, was the circus tent.

Peter had been to a circus before, a proper circus, and that had been much bigger than all three tents combined.  He didn’t see the big deal of this one, even if it was on their street.  Really though, it wasn’t even that.  He was excited at the prospect of the rare things they would see today.  It just came back to there being something off about Mr. Snaggle himself.

His parents seemed to agree, it was all they had been talking about for days.  He’d had to convince them to let him see the circus when it opened.  They made him earn his own entrance fee, but Peter didn’t mind.

Approaching the tent, the boys left their bike’s locked to a tree and made their way toward the tent.  Peter looked over the new sign above then entrance.  It was done in colorful paint and had shapes and symbols all along the edges.

MR. SNAGGLE’S ODDITIES
Home to the Unnatural and Weird

Despite himself, Peter smiled.  He had to admit that sounded like a place he’d enjoy.

“Come on, let’s go have a look.” Jackson said.

“Not so fast, kids.”  Peter gulped at the words and turned to their source.  Everybody in the neighborhood knew Billy’s voice.  Billy was going on to high school this year and thought that gave him a right to pick on everyone smaller than him.  It had been a rough summer with him around.

“We don’t want any trouble.”  Peter said, frowning.  The older boy had a friend with him.  Peter got the feeling he knew where this was heading.

“I made a bet with Todd here, told him I thought we could get in for free today.”  Billy said, ignoring his comment completely.

“That’s impossible,” Jackson countered, “the price is five dollars.  It says right there on the sign.”

“That’s right.  Dang, I guess I lose, Todd.”  Billy smiled at his friend with a troubling grin.  “Well, that’s a shame.  We’ll just have to take your entry money then, I guess.”

Jackson paled a little at the realization.  He turned to Peter with a look of defeat.  They both knew better than to argue with the older boy.  If they did, they’d lose their money anyway and probably get a black eye for their effort.

Reluctant, both boys pulled out the few dollars they had managed to earn with chores.

“And what do we have here?”   The voice made Peter jump.  It came from old Mr. Snaggle, sweeping out of his tent with a flourish of his cloak.  The cloak was another of his strange habits.  It was green and made of thick material.  Peter thought it was great, but his parents both considered it very odd for a grown man.  It seemed to fit a man who lived in bright tents to Peter.

Peter and Jackson, money in hand, stood dumbfounded.  Neither had any idea what to do.  It didn’t seem like a good idea to tell on the older kids.  They would surely pay for it later if they did.

“We were just asking our friends if we could borrow the entry fee.  We forgot our money at home, you see?”  Billy explained, looking as innocent as possible.

“I see,” the old man repeated, eyeing them all at once it seemed.  “Well that sounds good to me,” he said, pausing while Billy smiled.  “Of course, that means these lads have enough to pay for all four of you, yes?  Let’s see the money, and then I will show you things you’ve never imagined.”

Billy’s smile disappeared.  Peter would have laughed had it been safe to do so, how was he going to answer without smiling?  Billy saved him from having to find out.

“It doesn’t even matter.  I didn’t want to see the stupid circus anyway.  Come on, Todd.  Let’s go sneak into a movie or something.”  The two stalked away angrily.

Smiling widely, Peter looked up at Mr. Snaggle and said, “thank you.”

“Think nothing of it, my dear boy.  And may I bid you welcome to my circus of oddities.”  The old man flourished his cloak again, sweeping it out beside him as if to gesture toward the entrance.  “For only five dollars, you can be the first to witness my collection of all things intriguing, baffling to scientists, thing unexplainable by experts all over the world.  Enter, and see the impossible.”

Peter laughed in delight and his friend was clapping along with every word.  The old man had a way of speaking that he’d never heard before.  Why had he ever doubted coming to this place?

They both raised their hands to pay the man and he paused as if in thought.  “In fact, for being my first visitors, why don’t you go ahead and keep your money.  How does that sound?  All I ask is that you tell other’s of what you see today, can you do that?”

Peter looked at his friend in wonder and they both nodded vigorously.  To think they both now had five dollars!  He turned to thank Mr. Snaggle again.  In the back of his mind he remembered thinking there was something strange about the man.  Then they went into the tent, and he forgot all about the things he’d been told.

Some people have been asking me about my projects listed on the front page. Everywhere on the site they are only hinted and “coming soon.” I thought I would go ahead and fill people in about what I’ve been doing since finishing The Forest Awakens at the end of July.

Assassin’s Tale, Adult Fantasy

That is not the title I’ll use for the book, but it sums up what I’m going for. When I have a title I’ll let you guys know. I have always loved to read both fantasy and espionage, so it makes sense for my third book to be a fun mix of the genre’s. It will be mostly fantasy, so no guns or advanced government spy organizations, more back to the basics. Knives will be a popular weapon choice among thieves.

The book will track the protagonist while his life is, to some degree, falling apart. Once an honored soldier turned merchant’s guard, he finds himself on a downward spiral that leads him to become an assassin with the fate of two kingdoms caught in his schemes of revenge.

The novel will really be about the protagonist. I wanted to tell a detailed story of what it takes to break an honorable man and turn him into a deadly adversary. I can’t wait to see how it turns out!

I’m estimating 100,000 words for this book. It’s plotted out at 38 chapters, using 2500 words/chapter as my rough estimate. I have about 12,000 completed. This project began in the middle of July.

Tuesday Night Story #3, Mr. Snaggle’s Oddities

I can hardly believe that we’re already on the 3rd TNS! This has been so much more fun than I expected when it began. To those that haven’t been keeping up, every Tuesday night I post roughly 1100 words of a continuing story. When story #2 began, my good friend David Carroll offered to record the stories each week. So TNS got an upgrade and became a podcast as well! You can find it on iTunes if you’re interested. See the mp3 player on the front page to listen to recent episodes.

Mr. Snaggle’s Oddities is a new style of writing for me. It is my first attempt at such a young voice. This one is a children’s tale about a strange new circus that has come to young Peter’s street. The circus is run by old Mr. Snaggle and it all seems just a bit too good to be true.

*****

That’s what I’ve been up to lately. Feel free to tell me about your latest projects in the comments. And make sure to check back tomorrow for the beginning of Mr. Snaggle’s Oddities! It may be one of my favorite story ideas yet.

One thing I got to a lot these last couple weeks is read. I finished a couple books, so expect more reviews than just this one.

It is no hidden fact that Neil Gaiman is a terrific author. The man has so many books out that you rarely find someone who hasn’t at least heard of one. He’s written some of my more recent favorites in the Fantasy genre. Stardust is my favorite. I also like that he writes to audiences of all ages. That is something that reaches out to me because I do the same thing.

Coraline only took a day or two for me to get through. That is partly because it is a short book, but also because it was really interesting. The protagonist is, obviously, named Coraline. She is a young girl who has to go back to school in one week. She wants to use that time to explore a new house that her family moved to. As she does, she comes to realize the house is hiding secrets that put them all in danger.

Gaiman proves again what a great story teller he is in this book. Each chapter jumps quickly from interesting scene to interesting scene. His side characters kept me laughing the entire book. The old man with the mouse circus is fantastic. Much like Peter Pan, Gaiman uses an alternate reality where characters you know become something else entirely.

I would definitely recommend this book. While it is aimed at children, I’m sure most adults would enjoy the natural flow of this book.

I had thought of this really neat blog post to tell everyone about my recent vacation. Then my wife went and surpassed all my ideas and expectations. Instead of trying to compete, I decided I would just direct everyone interested her direction. Below are but a few of the great pictures she got while we were away from home.

http://www.oldbutnew.net/blog/2009/08/19/a-last-hurrah/

If you’re just here for the Tuesday Night Story, check back next week. Today is my anniversary with Samantha, so it’s getting a break this week. I wanted to write a quick post and tell everyone. The blog hasn’t had many posts lately. We had to pack lots into the end of Summer. Expect this week to be full of them. But for now, this is time to spend with my wife.

The conclusion of When Troubles Follow You Home.

In this final episode Braydon must face both Zydala and his past, as well as the members of an Order he abandonded long ago. He finds that there is no escape to the consequences of one’s actions.

Ideas are starting to form around the new story idea for next week. Check back next Tuesday as we start a whole new adventure together.

Audio version narrated by David Carroll:

As always, thanks for reading. You can find past parts here.

The door opened and Darren, with half a dozen men following behind, walked out onto the porch and down the steps.  Braydon took a deep breath in relief.  It didn’t mean that everything would go well today, but it meant he probably wouldn’t be killed before having a chance to speak.  That was something.

Darren gave Amery a wide smile as he walked.  Braydon could see the strain that kept the boy from running to her.  It reminded him of the importance that today had.  The lives of all these people were potentially at stake.

Inside the house was a bustle of movement.  There was one magic source that he tracked more closely than all the others.  It could only be Zydala.  Nobody else held such power.  Well, almost nobody.

As the porch filled, people began to move forward.  He could tell that they were nervous about getting too close despite him being outnumbered dozens to one.  Amery had warned him of the number of people living here, but even still the crowd surprised him.  Most were younger, but some he still recognized after all this time.

Zydala emerged, dressed fully in the official robes of her position.  Every inch of her was showing regal confidence.  As she walked, followers moved to get out of her way.  The woman wore a dangerous expression, so Braydon understood their desire to be clear of the path between them.

“So, Ambassador,” she was eyeing Amery’s shawl, voice rich with sarcasm, “you have finally come to pay for your crimes against Tykaron.  He will welcome you to the afterlife!”

All eyes turned on him, but he held his tongue.  His hopes found a voice in Elder Hemmon.  It would be better to hear from one of their own first.  “The Ambassador deserves more than threats.  For years I have awaited validation for the fall of our Order.  For years we have had only one voice to offer an explanation for what took place.”

Zydala tried to interrupt but Elder Hemmon talked right over her.  “Ambassador Sarrell, it has been accused that you betrayed all that we stand for.  I bring you to question under rule of Tykaron himself, who demands the truth of what brought down the Order.”

The entire clearing fell to silence.  Braydon understood what he was doing, but Zydala apparently did not.  Her smug attitude said she trusted in her years of manipulation.

“I deny none of your claims, Elder.”  Zydala lit up at his words as the entire crowd gasped.

“You see, I-!” Zydala began, but Braydon spoke right over her.

“However, while I make no excuses for what I did, you should be aware that I would do it again in an instant.  Tykaron is a lie, a false God created by the Master’s of your Order.”

If there had been gasps before, there were cries of blasphemy now.  Once again Zydala tried to speak but was silenced by the enhanced voice of Elder Hemmon.  The man played a dangerous game.  He was among the very few that looked relieved at his comment.  A lifetime of suspicion revealed in a sentence.

“I call you all to silence!”  The sheer volume of his voice quieted the crowd.  Zydala was enraged now.  Hemmon eyed her without any hint of fear.  He was looking death in the eyes and had accepted it long before now.

Her scream brought the crowd to their knees as she launched her attack.  Every member of the order was cowering except for Zydala, Elder Hemmon, and of all people, Darren.

His calm demeanor turned to open shock as Darren’s power inverted, drawing in strength from those around him.  The boy’s face twisted with concentration and Zydala’s attack was caught in the energy field that was growing around him.  Her eyes rose in surprise even as he reversed the flow once again and launched it right back at her.

It all lasted less than a minute, but Braydon knew that everything had changed.  This was not what he’d expected.  Zydala tried to deflect the attack but she was nowhere near powerful enough to do so.  There was nobody that could.  Hemmon sighed in relief that he was still alive.

One-by-one the crowd stirred and got to their feet.  They looked at him suspiciously despite knowing he had nothing to do with that.  Elder Hemmon stepped forward in front of the line of people.

“Ambassador Sarrel I thank you for what you have done.”  I have sought this truth for many years without anything more than hints and ideas, many of which I found in your books, hard as they were to find.  Speaking those words here today was what gave me strength.  How did you first know?”  The man had tears in his eyes as he looked to him, somewhere between the loss of his faith and the peace of the truth.  Braydon had been there himself.

His eyes panned the crowd and took in the faces looking back at him.  Some looked happy, others looks confused.  They all seemed to look to him as if expecting guidance.  It was his fault they were gathered here, responsibility was something he had given up to go home.  Perhaps he just wasn’t meant to have peace in this life.

“There will be time for that, Elder.  It took many years of searching.  What is important now is the truth that I found.  You do not need false God’s to guide your path; Tykaron was no more than a method of control.”  His voice rose to an all-too-familiar tone of command once he got into it.  “I am no longer Ambassador Sarrel, Servant of Tykaron.  No, I am who I was born, Braydon Sulleth.  All of you are the same as me.  We cast off our names in the name of our God, but understand this is no more than a manipulation that was forced upon you.  Your new name was to alienate you from people in your life outside the Order.”

“You are in control of your own life, everyone must cast off the names given to them and become yourselves once more.”  Gasps filled the silence and he paused to let them come to terms with what he said.  “The world is weary of your Order, even after all these years.  Those of you who wish to return to your lives will not be stopped.  You should understand that your power is dangerous in this world.  There will be those that will fear it and there will be those that try to destroy anyone who wields it.”

He paused again while they considered that life.  “However,” he went on, “if you wish to remain here then you will be welcomed.  This mansion will become an Academy for people who are like us.  Elder Hemmon,” Braydon looked down at the man, “will be the headmaster.”  Slowly people began to clap, thankful that he was not taking the job for himself.  Hemmon was shaking his head.

“I could not. It should be you that leads us.  You are wiser than I.”  He bowed a little more with every word.

“Rise my good man, you need not bow to me.  After everything you have done today it is me that you bow to, when it should be the other way around.  I owe you my very life.  That takes a humble heart, which I have never had.  These people know you, they trust in your word or things would have gone very different today.  No, it is you that must lead them.”

Amery dismounted and ran to embrace Darren and the crowd took the distraction as an opportunity to talk amongst themselves.  Braydon smiled down at the two of them.  He thought back on his father’s question and wondered if he did have regrets about leaving home after all.  A lifetime of adventure, yes, but was it worth a lifetime of loneliness?

(*******)

Over the weeks the broken down mansion became a beautiful place once more.  Villagers from all over the area agreed to work to help rebuild the place.  Despite the animosity felt for members of the Order everywhere, they were willing to look past it and see that these weren’t dangerous people, just lost.  Once that had been decided they were treated as any other neighbor that needed a friend.  It was good to be home.